Terrible news: Cuddling up to kittens could literally kill you

Kittens are the cutest things ever and having a little snuggling session with them is one of life’s biggest joys.

Oh, except it might not be any more and doing it could literally kill you, sorry.

That is the view of scientists anyhow - and it is hard to argue against those guys at the best of times. 

Doctors at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have found that cat lovers who stroke little baby kittens are at risk of bacterial disease cat-scratch fever.

And they reckon that complications from it are a lot worse than previously thought.

Deadly? Kittens may be more dangerous than they appear (Rex)

Dr. Christina Nelson of the CDC said: “The scope and impact of the disease is a little bit larger than we thought.

“Cat-scratch is preventable. If we can identify the populations at risk and the patterns of disease, we can focus the prevention efforts.”

The CDC advises people to always wash their hands after touching cats, adding that owners should use flea-control methods as well.

Cat-scratch fever can be nasty - symptoms include headaches, blisters, fatigue and fever and is contracted if you are bitten or scratched by an infected cat, and complications can include brain damage and even death.

Top pic: Rex/posed by model